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Rheological characterization of biocompatible associative polymer hydrogels with crystalline and amorphous endblocks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2006

Sarvesh K. Agrawal ,
Naomi Sanabria-DeLong ,
Gregory N. Tew  and
Surita R. Bhatia
Sarvesh K. Agrawal
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
Naomi Sanabria-DeLong
Affiliation:
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
Gregory N. Tew*
Affiliation:
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
Surita R. Bhatia*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: tew@mail.pse.umass.edu
b)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: sbhatia@ecs.umass.edu
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Abstract

Control over mechanical properties of hydrogels is of primary importance for the use of these materials in drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. We demonstrate here that crystallinity and block length of poly(lactide) (PLA) can be used to tune the elastic modulus of associative network gels of poly(lactide)–poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(lactide) over several orders of magnitude. Polymers made with crystalline L lactic acid blocks formed very stiff hydrogels at 25 wt% concentration with an elastic modulus that was almost an order of magnitude higher than hydrogels of polymers with a similar molecular weight but containing amorphous D/L-lactic acid blocks. The relaxation behavior and crosslink density of gels are also significantly influenced by crystallinity of PLA and are again a function of PLA block length. Using these variables we can design new tailor-made materials for biomedical applications with precise control over their structure and mechanical properties.

Keywords

Biomimetic (assembly)Elastic propertiesPolymer
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 21 , Issue 8 , August 2006 , pp. 2118 - 2125
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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